Pattern mechanism for knitting-machines.



G. P. BOSWORTH.

PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1914.

1,189,046. Patented June 27,1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

G. P. BOSWORTH.

PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1914.

l 1 89,046 I Patented June '27, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- k rocket and ratchet loose on shaft,

G. P. BOSWORTH. PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED OCT. 28, 1914.

1, 1 89,046 Patented June 27, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- jwenZ r ac Georye 1? 5061007770 G. P. BOSWORTH.

PATTERN MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, I9I4.

Patented J une 27, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

. v fnvenfipr 1 f, Geory B fiosworih,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 HEMPHILLMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION nnonnISLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

App1ication filed October 28, 1914. Serial No. 869,121.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. BoswoR'rH, citizen of the United States,residing at Central Falls, Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Pattern Mechanism for Knitting-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a pattern drum for knittingmachines, which in addition to its step by step forward movement willhave at times an oscillating movement.

One result which may be accomplished with a drum of this character isthat the pattern may be repeated without using up the pattern surface ofthe drum to the extent that would be necessary should the drum in thisrepeating of the pattern be moved forward step by step. 'Any number ofrepeating actions maybe secured by oscillating the drum. As an exampleof what may be done with a pattern drum controlled in this way it may bementioned that the yarn may be changed and alternation of colorsintroduced into the fabric, say a number of courses of white, thencourses of black and then white thus producing a striped pattern,.oradditional colors may be thrown in as desired. A

The invention is shown in connection with a stocking machine of thistype well known as the Banner made under Letters Pat ent of the UnitedStates #933A43, September 7, 1909, though it will be understood that theinvention is not limited in this respect as it may be embodied inmachines of other types. I do not limit myself to the use of theinvention to the formation of striped patterns as the drum moving stepby step forward at times and oscillating at other times may be used forproducing other variations, it being understood as above stated, thatone object is to secure different pattern actions without usinging upthe pattern surface ofthe drum.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a stockingknitting machine of the Banner type with my invention shown inconnection therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pattern drum andassociated mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side view in the nature of a diagramof a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; looking from the left and withparts of the mechanism in elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail view of partsshown in Fig. 3 and viewed from the same direction as Fig. 3 Fig. 5shows links of the pattern chain.

In these drawings, the knitting head 1 and yarn fingers 2, with theiroperating wires 3 and levers 4, 5, 6 and 7 and pattern drum 8 fixed onthe shaft 5', the ratchet wheel 6 also fixed on said shaft, the sprocketwheel 9 with its sprocket chain B and its ratchet c fixed thereto. butloose on the shaft 8, the pawl i for driving the ratchet 0, the pawl 71.for driving the ratchet e, the oscillating quadrant i carrying saidpawls are all constructed'and arranged and substantially as in theHemphill patent and the Banner machine. Further, the engagement of thepawl h with the ratchet e is controlled by a controller member h pivotedat k and having" a lug If to be engaged by lugs on the pattern chain Bso that the tail h of saidcontroller will be lowered to allow the pawlit to engage the teeth of the ratchet ea and thereby turn the drum 8 onestep forward. The sprocket wheel 9 with its chain B is moved one stepforward in the arrow direction Fig. 3 for eachforward, left to rightmovement of-the quadrant i by the pawl 71 engaging thesratchet wheel 0which as stated is-located on the shaft 3' but carries fixed thereto thesprocket wheel 9.

The pattern drum has projections thereon for performing variousfunctions. As an example, it has projections or ribs 4', 5',"6, 7 forcontrolling the various levers 4, 5, 6 and 7 which are pivoted to theframeat 10 and have rearwardly extending arms Fig. 2 to which theyarn-finger operating wires 3 are attached. As the drum rotates step bystep'these lugs or ribs are brought under and lift the forward ends ofthe levers 4, 5, 6 and 7 in proper predetermined order to control theraising and lowering of the yarn fingers, these feeding under tension ofthe springs 11 so that the yarns, will be changed as desired.- Fig. 1shows that the projection 7 has come beneath the lever 7 and I 45 chine.

work, while on the other hand the projection or rib 5 has passed fromunder the lever 5 allowing this to fall onto the surface of the drum andtherefore the yarn finger belong- 5 ing to this lever is lowered intoworking position and its yarn has been introduced into the fabric. Nowsupposing it is desired to reverse the position of these twoyarn-fingers again. Under ordinary practice an additional projection orrib would be placed on the surface of the drum and this drum would begiven another forward step movement and if a number of repeats of thispattern were desired a'forward step of the drum would have to be madefor each change. With my invention this is avoided for it will benoticed that by moving the drum backward 2'. e. in a direction oppositeto that of the arrow in Figs. 1 and 3, the pro ection 7 will be carriedaway from under. the lever 7 and the projection or rib 5' will bebrought under and lift the lever 5 so that yarn belonging to lever 5will be withdrawn and yarn belonging to lever 7 will be introduced andby 2 oscillating the drum back and forth these yarn fingers will bethrown into and out of work alternately. This action may be continued aslong asthe pattern is to be repeated. For thus oscillating the patterndrum various means may be provided but in the particular constructionshown I employ in addition to the-mechanism above described, whichincludes the pawl h* and ratchet e, a retracting pawl 12 to engage aratchet tooth 13 on the speed changing cam p which is well known in theBanner machine and Hemphill patents, said cam being fixed to the shaft8' which has the drum 8 fixed thereto as above stated. This retract- 49ing pawl is connected with a lever 14 pivcam together with the patterndrum backward until the tooth 18 rides up on the cam portion 17 of thebracket 17, thus withdrawing the tooth 18 from the ratchet .tooth 13which thus determines the point at which the backward movement of thepattern drum ceases, this movement however, being sufiificient to allowthe lever 7 to fall by the with" ll'rawal of its pattern projection 7and the lever 5 to ride up on the incline 5 and thus upon the top ofthispattern lug or rib. The

positioning of the retracting pawl is automatically'controlled. Thismaybe done by various means but in the particular con struction shown Iemploy a controller 19 hav ng a laterally extending lug 20. This lowsthe retracting pawl to fall into the plane for engaging the ratchettooth 13 for the backward movement of the pattern drum. The supplementalcontroller lever 22 is pivoted to the frame at 24: and its rear end liesunder the retracting pawl 12. Its front end is borne upon by a pin 25fixed to the controller 19. This controller 19 is pressed normally downby a spring 2 and it falls down under this spring pressure when the lugon the pattern .chain is moved from under it.

When it falls it presses down the forward end of the supplementalcontroller lever 22 and the rear end of this then lifts the retractingpawl 12 up so that it in its reciprocation will .not engage anyprojection which is on the speed changing cam 6 and no retraction of thedrum will take place until the said retracting pawl is allowed to falland as above stated the falling of this pawl is controlled by the lug 21on the pattern chain controlling the controller 19.

Three of the links of the pattern chain are shown in Fig. 5. It will beobserved that these links are those which control the oscillation of thedrum. There may be more or less of these in the chain as described. Eachof the links shown in Fig. 5 has three projections, two on one side andone on the other and these alternate in position with each other, oneoccuring first on one side of the chain and the next on the other sidethroughout the series employed for effecting nation; the former movingthe pattern 'drum one step forward, while the pawl 12 retracts the drumone step backward, thus giving it the-oscillating movement as long aslinks such as are shown in Fig. 5 are passing these controllers.

It will be observed that the retracting action of the pawl '12 takesplace on the forward left to right stroke of the quadrant '6 that is tosay, the retracting movement takes place on the same direction of strokeof the quadrant on which the forward step movement of the drum takesplace, for it will be observed that the pawl 72. pushes the drum forwardwhile the quadrant is going from left to right and also that by reasonof the use of the arm 16 and lever 14 the pawl 12 is retracted while thesaid quadrant is going from left to right and as the strokes of themechanism shown, this objection is avoided.

While I have described the oscillation of the drum in connection withthe yarn 'con-.

trolling levers 5 and 7 it will. be understood that other changes may bemade by bringing into action the other levers in alternation, say forinstance the levers 5 and 7 would alternate during the reciprocation ofthe drum, then the drum would be given a forward movement to bring intoaction the levers 4 and 6 and then the drum would be oscillated again toalternate the action of these yarn levers 4 and 6. This is an extensionof the same principle involved in my invention and this would requireplacing on the cam 17 or other part which acts as a carrier thereforeother ratchet teeth like the tooth 13.

The retracting pawl is drawn forward by a spring 26.

I show on the arm 16 a dog 16 'pivotally mounted and adapted to engagethe projection 26 on the cam 37 as in my application #843,062 filedJunefl, 1914. By this as the oscilllating quardrant '5 moves backward,that is while the pawl 11* is performing its stroke the cam togetherwith the shaft 8 is turned forward one step by the dog 16 acting on theprojection 27 Fig. i and this movement may be utilized. for controllingdesired functions of the machine such as regulating the order of pickingas set forth in the application referred to. r

hat I claim is 1. In combination in a knitting machine, an oscillatingquadrant for driving the rotary member thereof for reciprocatingknitting, a pattern drum, devicescontrolled thereby to make changes inthe knitting, a ratchet wheel coaxially arrangedwith and connected withthe pattern drum to turn the same step by step forwardly, a pawl toengage and operate said ratchet wheel, said pawl being operated from thequadrant, a controller to determine the times of engagement of said pawlwiththe ratchet, a pattern chain having projections acting on saidcontroller, a carrier wheel for said chain coaxially arranged with theratchet and drum, a pawl for retracting the pattern drum, a controlleractuated by projections on said pattern chain alternating with theprojections first mentioned and means for operating the pawls,substantially as described.

I 2. In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, devicescontrolled thereby to make changes in the knitting, a ratchet wheelconnected with the pattern member to turn the same step by stepforwardly, a pawl to engage and operate said ratchet wheel, a controllerto determine the times of engagement of said pawl with the ratchet, apattern chain having projections acting on said controller, a pawl forxretracting the pattern member, a, controller actuated by projections onsaid pattern chain alternating with the projections first mentioned andmeans for operating the pawls, said operating means consisting of anoscillating quadrant and a connection leading therefrom for driving theknitting head during reciprocating knitting, substantially as described.

3. In combination in a knitting machine, a rotary member of the knittinghead,-an oscillating quadrant with connections for driving said rotarymember for reciprocating knitting, a pattern member, means for drivingthe said pattern member forward stepby step by the movements of saidquadrant, means for driving the pattern member backwardly by themovement of said quadrant and pattern means for de termining the timesat which said quadrant will drive the pattern member, said patternmember after its backward movement resuming its forward step by stepmovement, and yarn fingers controlled by said pattern member to makestripes in the fabric by the backward movement of said member,substantially as described,

4. In combination in a knitting machine, a rotary member of the knittinghead, an oscillating quadrant with connections for driving said rotarymember for reciprocating knitting, a pattern member, means for drivingthe said pattern member forward step by step by the movements ofsaidquadrant, means for driving the pattern member backwardly by themovement of said quadrant and pattern means for determining the times atwhich said quadrant will drive the pattern member, both the forward andbackward movement of the pattern member taking place on the samedirection of stroke of the quadrant.

5. In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, anoscillating driving member for the rotary part of the machine, a pawlfor driving the pattern member forward, a pawl for retracting thepattern member, the first mentioned pawl being connected to the saidoscillating member directly, and means interposed between the quadrantand the second pawl for giving it a reverse movement to retract thepattern member, on the same direction of the quadrant movement asoperated the first pawl, and means for controlling the pawls to makethem operate in succession, substantially as described.

6. In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, anoscillating quadrant, a pawl connected with the quadrant for moving thepattern member on the forward stroke of the quadrant, a second pawl tore tract the pattern member, an arm on the quadrant shaft, a leverconnected with the second pawl and operated by said arm as the quadrantmoves forward and means c0ntrolling said pawls to render them active orinactive, substantially as described,

7 In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, an oscillatingquadrant, means for giving said pattern member at times a forwardmovement as the quadrant swings forward, means for giving the patterndrum a backward movement at times when the quadrant moves forward, meansfor determining said times of operations and. means for giving a forwardmovement to the pattern member when the quadrant moves backwardly,substantially as described.

8. In combination in a knitting machine, a pattern member, a ratchetwheel coaxial with and connected with the pattern memher, a pawl foroperating said ratchet wheel for giving it a step by step forwardmovement, a. pawl for retracting the pattern wheel, means for operatingthe said pawl,

a pattern chain, a carrier therefor coaxial.

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH. Witnesses: .i-

Jan/ms L. James, EDITH M. BROMLEY.-

